VET4TRUTH wrote on Jul 29, 2008 7:32 PM:
" BLAGO DOSEN'T CARE SQUAT ABOUT ANY OF US DOWN HERE IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. HE LAUGHS AT ALL OF US DURING HIS DAILY COMMUTE FROM CHICAGO TO SPRINGFIELD BY STATE POLICE HELICOPTER AT TAX PAYER EXPENSE. MAYBE HE SHOULD MOVE TO SPRINGFIELD AND SAVE THE TAX PAYERS MEGA BUCK$ AND THERE WOULD BE FUNDS LEFT OVER FOR AMTRACK. "
yeppers wrote on Jun 27, 2008 12:48 PM:
" madblogger,
Well, for the most part, we do agree on something. I as well believe the government should not be in our every day lives via useless taxations, liberal court rulings, and etc. I also believe there should be accountability w/our elected officials and this obviously won't be done through our legislation since they voted down the recall bill. Our difference lies more in what we believe are "fair" taxations and "pork barrell" budgeting.
As far as the rehab argument, I will assume you are speaking of first time offenders, or petty offenders. If that is so, will your idea work? Likely. But you have to draw a line for repetative behavior. "
madblogger wrote on Jun 27, 2008 12:17 PM:
" There is still a train. Let supply and demand take hold. If there is a demand for more than 1 train, then I'm sure the good folks at Amtrak will be sure to add a train. I just don't think it should be dependant upon our taxes. I'm not against the train, I'm against our tax dollars subsidizing it. I'm against our tax dollars going to a lot of programs. I don't think it's government's responsibility to support us. As we creep closer and closer to a social state, I can't help but get angry as more and more of the money I earn does not go to me. I would like you to think of this like a checking account at your bank. Say you put $1000 in your account.... then all of the sudden the bank takes out $5 to keep John Doe from overdrafting. Then the bank wants to build a park for the CEO, and they take out $200. Then, Jane Doe, who has 9 kids by 7 different fathers, gets pregnant again, so the bank takes out $100 to buy her food, and give her medical. Well, here you sit with $695 just for banking at that bank. Is it your responsibility to bail out John Doe? Is it your responsibility to build that park? Are you responsible for Jane Doe's immoral behavior?
All I'm saying is we need more personal accountability. That means a person is responsible for his own lot in life, and not looking for government handouts. We also need more fiscal responsibility from our elected officials. I can assure you I didn't vote for the people I voted for, just to have them run loose with the state's checkbook. They should be accountable, and there should be the option of recalling any government official with a simple majority vote.
Which is cheaper? Having the drug offender in prison, where we have to house him, feed him, give him medical treatment, and guard him, or have him go through a 3 month rehab facility, and have electronic monitoring devices on him, allowing him to work and "PAY TAXES". "
yeppers wrote on Jun 27, 2008 11:13 AM:
" It's not an issue of drama being spoken here, or the sole dependance of SIU and Amtrak. Can I prove that because the train rolls through C'dale it is what prompts students to come here? No. I can however say that there are plenty of times I see plenty of students lined up at the depot waiting to get on the train to head back home, which in all likelyhood, is North of here. Just because you don't have a need, or purpose, for something, does not mean that other's should suffer.
Also, I notice you put high regard and dependance on rehabilitative services. Tell me, who is going to pay for these services? Who is going to pay for the constant monitoring of these offenders? Who is going to ensure this person quits using? I would like to see the study, a real study, proving rehabilitation is as effective as you believe. "
madblogger wrote on Jun 27, 2008 9:58 AM:
" I would like to see that study showing that the train provides a boost in enrollment to SIU. I bet it would be less than 1%. Besides, there will still be 1 train. Even if there were no train, I don't see how that threatens the survival of SIU. We're being a little too dramatic I think.
As far as so much to do here.... St. Louis is much closer, and there is a ton you can do there.
As far as people being in prison for drugs.... I would bet that drugs account for around 20% of the entire prison population. My friend's brother received 10 years for having meth-making materials. He wasn't selling it, he was addicted, and was making for self consumption. So, for 10 years, we will pay for him to be in prison. I would just assume pay for rehab and some sort of monitoring, and have him pay taxes rather than have the state usurp our tax dollars to support him.
The way the system is now, they put a mark over that person's head, and that person is unlikely to ever succeed in life. What the person really needed was to get clean. Now, had my friend's brother went to rehab a month before he got busted, society may look at him as a great guy for admitting he had a problem and getting clean. But alas, he did not; he is portrayed as a druggie loser doing a decade on our dollar.
Oh, and he won't get to ride the train either ;) "
yeppers wrote on Jun 27, 2008 8:47 AM:
" Madblogger,
Why go to Chicago at all? Well there you go.....fine!! There is so much to do and see here in good ole' Southern Illinois, I just can't contain myself, and I've grown up here!! Also, I guess the survival of our university and the economic boost it can bring is of no concern to you, no matter how much I disagree with Poshards recruitment policy. Don't forget, SIU is a state university, which brings in students from, yes, the Chicago area.
In regards to the pot excuse of being in prison. I'm sure there is not a person in prison who has been arrested for smoking pot only, unless they were smoking a joint weighing a pound!! As for your tax evasion and child support issues, I'll lend you leeway w/your argument, however, I'm also sure there isn't someone in prison for not paying their taxes of 1year. Those people are probably the ones that just flat out don't pay. The same goes for child support. If the person proves they are attempting to get a job and are having trouble, I understand. Otherwise, again, it comes down to just not paying them. "
madblogger wrote on Jun 27, 2008 12:21 AM:
" Oh, by no means am I defending Blago, I voted against him. The rates I quoted were off the website using today's date, as was greyhound's. I'm just saying that the train is not a mainstay in most southern Illinoisan's lives, nor should we act like it is. It benefits mainly, the students from Chicago that go to school down here.
Sure it should be somewhat cheaper, heh, it's subsidized by our state and federal government, meaning, we're paying for it whether we use it or not. Most southern Illinoisans do not.
What gets me, is we should all be throwing a "temper tantrum" for our legislator's inability to balance a budget. Why is it, other states can balance their budgets? Oh wait, I know; because they don't have to take care of the big city folk. It's sad that a tax and spend liberal like Blago has to bring to our attention that we just don't have the money to accomondate the spending that our elected officials wish to do.
Where do we draw the line? Obviously, there has to be cuts (and I don't mean decreases in spending). It doesn't matter what program you target, somebody here will obviously take offense. Think of how much our taxes have increased in the last 50 years.... Now the general population is complaining because we can't get a tax increase now?
It doesn't matter what you say, increased gambling, or more encompassing taxes on gamblers is still a tax. Somebody is going to lose money.
So we're going to draw attention to a train that the majority of southern Illinoisans don't use?
Heh, here in Williamson county, they're complaining that the sales tax for school funding increase is being opposed. We're not talking about increasing the teacher's educations, we're talking about building nice, pretty, new schools. How on earth does that increase the education level our students receive? What??? They look better in the new school??
I am going to write a grant requesting $100,000 a year for education. The jist of my teachings will be, "See? Government doesn't care what you learn; merely that they can claim they spent this on education."
After all, nobody wants to be against education, now do they?
All I have to say is, "At least now when they go to Chicago, they will do so in luxury, with a meal car instead of a snack car." Can't afford it? Don't go. Of course, if you want your government subsidized get-aways, then by all means keep complaining. Personally, I'm waiting on the Disney World subsidies paid for by our hard working citizens. I might actually fight for that tax. "
A Sane Voice wrote on Jun 26, 2008 8:28 PM:
" Re: Madblogger, sorry to say but you have some of your figures wrong. The City of N. O. train is the ONLY one with that high a fare, reason being that is a full service train, ( sleepers, full kitchen) the fare on the other two never go higher then $60.00 and that is a last minute almost sold out price. Most seats go for $30.00 with some as low as $24 and change for one way. Last week the federal government announced that they are looking to add MORE funding to Amtrak because they have come to understand that with the energy problems today it's needed more then ever.
This fool BLAGO is just having a temper tantrum like a 2 year old to get his way. The whole political party running our state right now has made Illinois a laughing stock around the nation. These idiots have to go by ANY means we can use to rid us of them and make our state great again. "
madblogger wrote on Jun 26, 2008 4:15 PM:
" Well, there you go.... fine, don't want to drive? Take a Greyhound ($53.00). Actually, why go to Chicago at all? Then you won't have to suffer at the gas pump, nor go through all of the mental and physical wear....
Also, you think it's better for a guy to be in prison who was busted for having marijuana than for him to go through counselling to kick the pot habit? What about a man who couldn't afford to pay his taxes? He should be in prison too, right? What about a man who can't pay his child support because he can't get a job? Prison? So, these people who are in unfortunate situations should be made to pay with their freedom? How absurd.
I could go on and on with reasons why people are in prison. Could it be, possibly, that the drug offenders are possibly addicted, hmmmmm??? Could it be that the taxes are too high for some people to be able to afford??? If a guy can't get a job, does that make him a criminal if he can't pay child support? "
YEPPERS wrote on Jun 26, 2008 3:58 PM:
" Madblogger,
What world do you live in? I'm glad you think it's o.k. for others to suffer at the gas pump because you would have 1 train for the C'dale to Chicago route. All because you don't use the train and don't like to pay taxes.
Also, prison's aren't overcrowded because our state keeps criminalizing everything. It's because of this one reason, and I know it may shock you, but it's because there are criminals in our society who commit crime. And no sir/ma'am, counselling is not the solution. "
philhaven wrote on Jun 26, 2008 3:35 PM:
" Hey madblogger,
You posted that it would cost $68 to go from Carbondale to Chicago one way with a vehicle that gets 17 miles to the gallon. Now did you take into effect any wear and tear that driving that disitance will put on you car, and the fact that gas is going well over $4.00 a gallon. There mental and physical strain with driving that you do not get when traveling by train. All of those medical bills you will have to pay as a result putting all of that strain on your body.
I dare you to try taking the train one time, who knows you may actually like it? "
reader wrote on Jun 26, 2008 1:06 PM:
" After using the president of SIU to promote the capital plan all around the state, why would he threaten to cut trains to that person's university?
To Ron50
Blago is commonly used in newspapers around the state as an abbreviation. "
ron50 wrote on Jun 26, 2008 11:50 AM:
" "Blago" what kind of stupid term is that? "Cute?" Better send the reporter back to a English class. "
madblogger wrote on Jun 26, 2008 10:14 AM:
" Hmmmm, I have lived in southern Illinois nearly all of my life, and I have never taken the train, yet I've been paying for it with taxes. I could care less if it gets cut, it's not that detrimental to our economy. I looked up the fees, the New Orleans and Saluki cost $83 from C'Dale to Chicago.
Nobody should act surprised that the majority of lawmakers/government officials in our state could care less about southern Illinois. I mean the majority of people, and therefore wealth is upstate. I mean, you wouldn't ask a homeless person to borrow 5 dollars, now would you?
If our state wouldn't have criminalized everything, we wouldn't have prison problems. I would venture to say that counselling would have helped out a lot more people than prison; would've been cheaper too, and in a lot of cases that person could have remained a productive member of society.
Has anybody stopped to think that maybe Amtrak should be cut anyway? I mean, it costs $83 one way to go to Chicago. If you drove, and your vehicle achieved 20 MPG, then it would take 17 gallons of fuel, costing $68.... 30 MPG, 11 gallons, $44. "
Soldier wrote on Jun 26, 2008 8:16 AM:
" Blago don't give a dan about you or me. If some of you people haven't figured it out yet it's all about him and Cook county! So vote for him again, and his cronies. We need to throw every incumbent out of office this time around and start over. Let him do it, as it makes him look worse than he already is. What a piece of work. People the legislature appropriated money last year for the state th hire employees, but all we employed were his cronies at a very high price. Currently at our prison $14,000 a day is paid in overtime as they reasonit's cheaper to pay that than to hire staff. Bago is out of CONTROL! "
